Flexible coupling



Patented Jan. 3 0, 1923;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. SPICER AND GURDON L. TARBOXJOF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO SPICER MFG. CORPORATION, OF SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NEW TER SEY, A CORPORATION 0F VIRGINIA.

FLEXIBLE Application led July 14,

lo all whom it may concern Be it known that we,l CLARENCE W.

vSPIOER and GUnDoN L. TARBox, both citizens of the United States, residing at Plainfield, i'n the county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and -useful vImprovements in Flexible Couplings, of which the following' is a disclosure.

Our invention relates to flexible couplings such as are employed to connect rotatable power shafts of all kinds, and particularly to couplings for connecting the power shafts of automobiles, and is an improvement on the flexible coupling described in the application of Gurdon L. Tarbox, Serial No. 435,919, fledJanu-ary 8, 1921. In said application there is described a flexible coupling comprising two hub members each bearing a series of fixed' projections with resilient members preferably of -rubber interposed between the projections and which operate to flexibly connect the two parts of the coupling. The improved device now claimed differs from that of said application in that it comprises, in additin to the hub members with projections, a third or housin member which also bears a vseries of proj ectlons. The projections on the housing member alternate with the projections on the hub, and the resilient members are disposed between the projections on the hubs and the projections on the housing. In the improved arrangement the housing is free from both of the hubs, and this changes the rolling action of the balls so that less ball. movement is required for a given angle than in the prior arrangement. Also in the improved arrangement greater longitudinal movement may be had and the balls are not required to have so high a degree of elasticity, and in some cases where only a limited amount of flexibility is required balls of steel or of other material having only a slight amount of elasticity may be employed.

Our invention with other advantages will, with the foregoing explanation, be readily understood from a description of the preferred embodiment shown in the drawing accompanying and forming a part ofv this specification and in which- Fig. 1 is a transverse section of the joint; t

coUPL'ING.

leafl serial No. 484,664.

trated, the joint comprises two oppositely v disposed hub members 1, each carrying arms or projections 2` These arms or projections have bowl shaped cavities 3 formed on their faces. A housing 4 surrounds the joint and on the interior of this housing there are fixed a plurality of projections 5 which also have bowl shaped cavities on their opposite faces as indicated at 6. The projections on the housing alternate and are disposed between'the projections 2 on the hub members so that the balls 7, of rubber, rubber compounds or other resilient material, when disposed between the projections on the housing and the projections on the arms will function to flexibly connect the two parts of the coupling and will, owing to theirlexibility and to their rolling action in the bowl-shaped `cavities, permit the joint to operate at considerable angles. These rubber balls are preferably inserted: and main tained under substantial compression so that they remain in place and securely hold the joint together..

In addition to the advantages labove referred to which are peculiar to this improved joint, it has all the advantages of the joint described in the Tarbox application above referred to, that is to say, it minimizes the transmission of noises and vibrations originating in one shaft or a part to the other, and it will yield in the direction of rotation and thus take up sudden jars or strains and is durable and can be made comparatively small in size,

Although we have described only the preferred embodiment of our invention, we

may be varied as desired and the invention is not restricted to the use of any particular 4number of projections. Where the specification refers to the use of rubber we intend to include compounds of rubber and disposed between the projections on the `also other materials having similar properhubs, bowl shaped cavities formed on the 10 ties. adjacent faces of the projections and balls of What we claim is: rubber o-r similar material disposed in said 5 A flexible shaft coupling comprising two cavities yand operating to iexibly connect' hub members and a housing member7 a pluthe-two parts of the coupling. rality of projections on each member, the CLARENCE W. SPICER. projections on the housing member being -GURDON L. TARBOX. 

